A Raspberry Pi Based Scalable Software Defined Network Infrastructure for Disaster Relief Communication

Disasters, both natural and man-made, can occur at any time or place in the world; aid is then required to support the victims of the disaster and to provide humanitarian support within the disaster zone. The first 24-48 hours after a disaster are a critical time for first responders in administering aid to the victims. This is known as the golden 24 hours [1] where 85% to 95% of live rescues are made. To support this effort, a rapidly deployable, scalable, and low cost communication infrastructure is required. This paper proposes the use of low-cost Single Board Computers, in combination with scalable containerised network services (e.g. VOIP, Web Services, etc.), utilising Software Defined Network based control to allow the centralised management of devices. A Raspberry Pi based prototype setup is detailed, and initial performance tests are presented as a means of confirming the technological viability of the concept under a number of different topology configurations.